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The older brother, who remains nameless, is the lady’s son, Robin’s brother, and Moll’s first lover. The older brother is handsome, charming, and incredibly wealthy. After Moll comes to live with his family, the older brother is immediately taken by her beauty, and he quickly begins to pursue her. He flirts with Moll and compliments her, and then he throws Moll onto her bed and “violently” kisses her. He professes his love and gives her five Guineas before leaving. Afterward, the older brother continues his advances and promises he will marry Moll after he inherits his estate. Moll is doubtful, so by way of convincing her, the older brother gives her 100 Guineas and promises to give her 100 more every year until they are married. Their relationship grows sexual, and the older brother, who never intended to marry Moll, stops talking about marriage all together. When his younger brother Robin falls in love with Moll, the older brother convinces her that Robin is the better choice. It may be years before he comes into his fortune, the older brother says, and marrying Robin is the perfect way for Moll to restore her reputation. He gives Moll £500 “to make [her] some Amends for the Freedoms” he took with her, and tells her he will look upon her as a sister. Moll and Robin marry, and a few years later, the older brother marries a woman from London. The older brother underscores the connection between sex and money in the novel. From the first near-sexual encounter the older brother has with Moll, he pays her; and when he leaves her, he pays Moll for taking her virtue and potentially ruining her reputation—a priceless asset in 17th-century England. From early on, it is clear to Moll that sex and money are intimately connected, and in a society that offers women limited opportunities to provide for themselves, sex becomes a form of currency for Moll.
The Older Brother Quotes in Moll Flanders
The Moll Flanders quotes below are all either spoken by The Older Brother or refer to The Older Brother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Older Brother and Moll’s First Marriage Quotes
I wonder at you Brother, says the Sister; Betty wants but one Thing, but she had as good want every Thing, for the Market is against our Sex just now; and if a young Woman have Beauty, Birth, Breeding, Wit, Sense, Manners, Modesty, and all these to an Extream; yet if she have not Money, she’s no Body, she had as good want them all, for nothing but Money now recommends a Woman […].
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Then he walk’d about the Room, and taking me by the Hand, I walk’d with him; and by and by, taking his Advantage, he threw me down upon the Bed, and Kiss’d me there most violently; but to give him his Due, offer’d no manner of Rudeness to me, only Kiss’d me a great while; after this he thought he had heard some Body come up Stairs, so he got off from the Bed, lifted me up, professing a great deal of Love for me, but told me it was all an honest Affection, and that he meant no ill to me; and with that he put five Guineas into my Hand, and went away down Stairs.
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My Colour came and went, at the Sight of the Purse, and with the fire of his Proposal together; so that I could not say a Word, and he easily perceiv’d it; so putting the Purse into my Bosom, I made no more Resistance to him, but let him do just what he pleas’d; and as often as he pleas’d; and thus I finish’d my own Destruction at once, for from this Day, being forsaken of my Virtue, and my Modesty, I had nothing of Value left to recommend me, either to God’s Blessing, or Man’s Assistance.
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Moll Marries the Linen-Draper Quotes
This Knowledge I soon learnt by Experience, (viz.) That the State of things was altered as to Matrimony, and that I was not to expect at London, what I had found in the Country; that Marriages were here the Consequences of politick Schemes for forming Interests, and carrying on Business, and that
L o v e had no Share, or but very little in the Matter.
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The Older Brother Character Timeline in Moll Flanders
The timeline below shows where the character The Older Brother appears in Moll Flanders. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Older Brother and Moll’s First Marriage
...she has a reputation of “Virtue and Sobriety.” The lady has two sons, and the older brother of the two is known as a handsome and “gay” young man. He tells Moll...
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One day, the older brother visits Moll in the room where she does her work. He grabs her and kisses...
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...a young woman who thinks herself pretty, and she has no reason to doubt the older brother ’s love for her. He soon returns—there was no one coming, he says—and quickly takes...
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...Pride, and but a very little Stock of Virtue,” thinks only of gold and the older brother ’s words. Careful not to draw suspicion, Moll goes to great lengths to ignore him...
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The older brother hired the coach and the man the day before, but no one knows this. He...
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Moll swoons at the sight of the older brother ’s purse and the sound of his proposal, and she does not resist as he...
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To Moll’s surprise, the younger brother does not hide his feelings like the older brother , and he makes it plain to the lady and the rest of his family...
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...cannot imagine “being a Whore to one Brother, and Wife to the other.” Still, the older brother hasn’t mentioned marriage since they began having sex. Moll doesn’t know what to do about...
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The first chance she gets, Moll goes to the older brother . She has been crying, and he asks her what’s wrong. Moll lies and tells...
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...with another if she is turning down such a match as the younger brother. The older brother asks Moll to do nothing for the time being and give him time to think....
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Days later, the older brother tells the younger brother that he heard stories that the younger brother is in love...
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The older brother says that telling anyone about his relationship with Moll is not a good idea, and...
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Moll asks the older brother what happened to his love and faith, and he admits that he did promise to...
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Moll reminds the older brother that even though they aren’t legally married, she is his wife just as sure as...
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...if Moll were in love with him, he would gladly help her recover, and the older brother begins to suspect that his brother knows about his relationship with Moll. Moll assures the...
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...lady begins to encourage a marriage between Moll and Robin, and she even recruits the older brother to convince Moll.
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The older brother visits Moll in her room, where he gently kisses and hugs her. He tells Moll...
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...really considered the danger of her situation. If she is eventually dropped by both the older brother and the younger brother, she will be left to fend for herself with nothing and...
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...Each time Moll is in bed with her husband, she dreams of being with the older brother . “In short,” Moll says, “I committed Adultery and Incest with him every Day in...
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Moll Marries the Linen-Draper
...She isn’t concerned with love at all—not after losing so badly in love with the older brother —and she resolves “to be well Married or not at all.” Still, it isn’t long...
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